I use the Lee hardness measure.
You have to be steady and have good light on the dent to measure it.  But I have come up with good readings compared to a control measurement from metalugical charts.

I/ve want to use an old mocroscope to mount the magnifier on/in to make it easier.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I think some of the errors one sees in there testers is when they are making up there own alloy and lets say for example its 20-1. Common thought is you take 20lbs. of pure lead and add 1lb. of pure tin of which is not exactly correct as you end up with 21lbs. The proportions of lead and tin need to equate to 20lbs. and this would be enough to provide the false readings some are incurring on their various alloy testers.

JLouis

20/1 is and has always been 20 parts lead and one part tin. Therefore the tin is 1/21 of the mix by weight or 4.76% tin.

20/1 is not a total of 20 parts, which is 19/1 or 5% tin, as many think. The hardness is 10 BHN for 20/1 and 10.05 BHN for 19/1

But, non of the available hardness tester are sensitive enough to measure the difference, accurately.

My 22/1 (4.17%) alloy has a BHN of 9.80, you would also be hard pressed to get that BHN exact with any tester also.

The available testers that you have to measure the indent are VERY subseptable to errors in reading the indent, .002 can make a real difference. Not everyone can read the indents accurately. Shadows, parellax and rounded edges can cause, at least that much error.

Frank

BP I do it the way I was taught to come up with a true 20-1 alloy by proportioning. I could be wrong but through my conversations with RotoMetals from what I understand it is also the same method they use for producing thier various alloys. But it surely is not worth arguing over if one feels other wise as it is much simpliar to just continue on doing what you think is correct and works best for you.

JLouis

CF I don't think how one chooses to make his alloy has any real bearing and surely not enough to argue over. But I do strongly feel each individual rifle performs its best by the using the correct bullet hardness and it can change when changing to other various bullet designs in the same rifle. Not based on opinion it is simply another one of those varibles that I have taken the time to prove only to myself.

JLouis

Not arguing- just want to hear if rifles in general are so fussy as to need a precise alloy- or if one almost, but not exactly, the same will behave as well. Most rifles,not just your obviously fussy one.
Nothing wrong with your way, keep up the good work if ya like it that way. But, did you really see if the other slightly different alloy worked? I can see where a big swing in alloy may have consequences, but a tiny one is like measuring the amount of milk in your pancake batter with a triple beam scale. Not needed there- is it any difference with lead? In this case mentioned earlier the difference is 4.76% compared to 5%. If the ingredients are pure to begin with.

I guess the real measure of proof of anything, is the ability to shoot 250's in a actual match. I'm not quite there, myself. My scores are 248's and 249's at Spokane and only .463 and 1.288, 5 and ten shot groups here. You may also note that many of the 250 shooters use 24 - 25/1.

I've tried everything from 30/1 to 16/1 but, I keep coming back to 22 - 20/1. I only shoot spitzers and in that range, they seem to hold their shape.

But, this thread is REALLY about hardness testing and for those with testers, you'll find that you have to test, at least 3 times and average your tests. It's not uncommon to get readings of +/- .5 hardnest on the same test sample, no matter how well you think your lead is mixed and how much of any alloy is in it.

For our sport, if you know the lead and tin that you put into the mix, you really have no need to test it's hardness. But, if you get lead and tin from unknown sources, it's best to test it. Especially if you use Pewter as your tin. But, again, your test results will have to be averaged and will not, probably be any closer to the actual hardness tha, about +/- .2, at best.

One more thing about unknow sources, if you have any Arsinc or antimony in it, it will age harden and if you store your bullets for more than 1 week, before you shoot , you need to re-test them, to make sure they stay the same hardness. At 2 weeks, most of those alloys reach their hardest point.

Frank